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Everyday physics & science demos: videos Hacker News recommends
Physics in everyday life: science demonstrations, Steve Mould, Smarter Every Day, slow-motion experiments, optics, sound and acoustics, fluid dynamics, counterintuitive science, citizen experiments. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (70 explainers, 66 demos, 5 music videos), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- 12 HN recommenders 15 months 2014–2026HN repeatedly calls it the clearest introduction to waves and transmission-line behavior, better than modern explainers.
- 17 HN recommenders 15 months 2021–2026HN's default recommendation for a friendly, thorough introduction to heat pumps and why they are so efficient.
- 8 HN recommenders 8 months 2010–2023N nebulajr · interviewHN repeatedly cites it as an elegant, eye-opening explanation of fire and photosynthesis and as an example of Feynman's infectious love of knowledge.
- 9 HN recommenders 8 months 2020–2025Whenever HN discusses seasonal affective disorder, myopia, or bright home lighting, people point to this as the most convincing buildable example of sunlight-like illumination.
- 8 HN recommenders 8 months 2020–2026HN repeatedly recommends it as a surprisingly magical explainer on color perception, often cited in color-space discussions.
- 7 HN recommenders 6 months 2021–2026Often recommended as an eye-opening field-based explanation of electricity, though it was also controversial and criticized as pedantic.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2024–2026Praised as the clearest visual explanation of transmission lines, impedance and signal propagation, with several commenters saying it made it all click.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2020–2025HN recommends it as a delightful breakdown of the cleverness in dumb appliances and an entry point to the channel.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2021–2025Recommended as one of the best explanations of Fourier transforms and a clear demo of analog optical computing.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2013–2026HN commenters recommend it as one of Veritasium's best videos and one that has aged well.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2023–2026HN considers it among the clearest accessible explanations of what refractive index actually is and how light moves through transparent matter.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2013–2022W wbeaty · explainerHN likes it as a fun, clear explainer of traffic waves and of the benefits of leaving gaps while driving.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2016–2025It is the go-to demonstration of how hypoxia silently disables decision making, cited in threads on altitude, flying, diving, CO2 and breathwork.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2025S sdfhsfh · explainerRecommended as an entertaining, accessible way to get a feel for light and electric fields.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2022Praised as a masterpiece of science education that recreates Faraday's demonstrations.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2026HN calls it one of the best explanations of how atomic clocks actually work.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2021–2026Go-to link when oxygen candles, CO2 capture or submarine air quality come up.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2025M Matthias random stuff · demoCited in cooling and fan-noise threads as a short video with actual data on fan placement.
- 7 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2025HN links it in threads on bikes, countersteering and control systems as the clearest demonstration of how bikes actually steer and balance.
- 10 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2021HN repeatedly recommends it as an excellent explanation of why flying on Mars is hard and how the helicopter was built.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2013–2024Recommended across Prince Rupert's drop and glass threads for its striking high-speed footage.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2024–2026HN links it whenever the Moon's orbit comes up, as a concise explanation of why the Moon always curves toward the Sun.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2026O OKGoVEVO · music videoCommenters recommend it as a creative music video shot entirely in zero gravity, citing it in threads about parabolic flights and space.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2025HN cites it widely in discussions of tacit knowledge, habit, unlearning and adult versus child learning.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2016–2025HN recommends it as a short, intuitive introduction to the pilot wave (de Broglie-Bohm) interpretation of quantum mechanics.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2015–2021H heligone · demoHN users share it to build intuition about wave-particle duality and pilot-wave ideas in quantum mechanics threads.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2019–2022HN cites it for an insider's look at defense work and at how the military thinks about information operations and cyberspace.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2021HN uses it as the go-to demonstration of how unintuitive mass conservation is, especially in weight loss and burning threads.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2021HN commenters like it as a high-quality, accessible look at an under-appreciated engineering idea and bring it up in snap-fit and hinge discussions.
- 5 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2022Recommended in launch threads as an immersive way to hear what a Falcon Heavy launch actually sounds like.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2021M Michigan Engineering · talkHN commenters point to it as a credible debunking of the popular but wrong explanations of how wings generate lift.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2024A Anders Kaestner · demoRecommended in moka pot threads as the best way to see how the pot works from the inside.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2026Cited whenever backup beepers and noise come up, as a clear explanation of the white-noise alternative.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2012–2024Cited as the best explanation of mirror reversal.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2026Commenters link it as a quick, clear explanation of why twelve notes only approximate simple ratios.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2023–2025HN commenters point to it as a fun, research-grounded explainer whenever bed bug threads come up.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2021HN uses it as a quick, clear demonstration of the Magnus effect behind spinning-cylinder ships and planes.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2023Recommended as the clearest footage of a whip tip going supersonic, and cited in shockwave discussions.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2023F Fermilab · explainerHN commenters link it to correct the widespread misconception about why light slows in a medium.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2025–2026HN commenters recommend it for changing how they think about distributions and for showing how criticality shows up across earthquakes, wildfires and other fields.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2012–2023HN recommends it as a good visual explanation of how cats land on their feet.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2025HN recommends it as an approachable, intuitive explanation of why visible photons can be surprisingly large, from a channel known for practical optics.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2022HN points to it for a clear explanation of photon sieves versus Fresnel lenses and for showing what interference patterns actually look like.
- 5 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2023Frequently linked whenever wind-powered vehicles come up, as the clearest visual explanation of how the craft works.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2023Recommended as an expert-made DIY build that explains why the apparatus is designed as it is, though one commenter notes a missing baseline run.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2025HN commenters find the hypothesis elegant and the channel consistently thought-provoking, and point to it in threads on light, particles and wave functions.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2021HN recommends it as an accessible layperson's introduction to the Reynolds number and fluid dynamics scales.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2023Linked as clear demonstrations that make the counterintuitive faster-than-wind result click.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2024R Rouxbe · tutorialHN people cite it as a practical test for pan temperature and as the way to get a stainless steel pan relatively non-stick.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2023It comes up as a great explainer on magnetohydrodynamic drives and pumps in threads about silent submarine propulsion.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2022H Hard Is Easy · demoCited in climbing knot threads to counter the claim that figure 8s jam, by showing the correct tying method.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2024C Chris Notap · demoHN commenters send it to people who think vaping is as harmful as smoking, for its graphic comparison.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2021HN commenters recommend it as an easy-to-digest explanation of time dilation and the twin paradox.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2025HN links it as a popular, accessible introduction to indoor CO2 and its effect on thinking, in air quality threads.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2026T The Slow Mo Guys · explainerFrequently linked as visual proof of how a CRT's raster scan and phosphor decay work.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2022J Just Think · demoHN cites it as a practical demonstration that kerosene-type fuels are hard to ignite compared with gasoline.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2022S superbikeschool · demoHN recommends it as an eye-opening demonstration of why countersteering matters on two wheels.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023Commenters recommend it for the striking glass-shattering visuals and the artist's attitude of treating failure as a space for discovery.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2025It is the standard link whenever a new Peltier or thermoelectric cooling breakthrough is posted.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2025–2026HN uses it as the reference demonstration in lidar versus camera debates, though some critics fault its methodology and style.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2025HN commenters recommend it as a practical explanation of microwave hazards and shielding, and of using microwave ovens safely without an enclosure.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2024HN links it as the accessible video explanation of the sodium-in-water research, and when Coulomb explosions or sodium batteries come up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2025HN mentions it as the famous, kid-delighting demo of fluidization, especially in sand battery and industrial process threads.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2022Recommended as an interesting experiment showing PEX tolerates freezing better than copper.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2023T The Toaster Challenge · demoHN uses it as a vivid illustration of how little sustained power a human body produces, even a champion's.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2024–2026Brought up in Tesla auto-wiper threads as the clear explanation of how simple conventional rain sensors work.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2024Commenters point to it as a clear explanation of the different types of night vision and why analog image intensifiers behave differently from digital ones.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2021HN recommends it as a cool, eye-opening look at the hidden ultraviolet world, especially in sunscreen and vitamin D threads.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2021J jarhead96 · demoHN uses it as vivid proof that modern fires develop much faster, which is the argument for working smoke detectors and early escape.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2026Linked in owl-feather and quiet-flight threads as a clear audio comparison.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2026F flugsnug · demoHN commenters link it as a visual illustration of wingtip vortices and wake turbulence when discussing lift and aircraft wakes.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2021HN uses it as a vivid example of tacit knowledge and skill acquisition, where the brain eventually abstracts away the complexity.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2025–2026L LightningOnDemand · demoHN users suggest it to anyone who enjoys extreme high-voltage projects and big capacitor-bank discharges.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2019HN links it in threads about silence and quiet rooms, as a good first-hand look at the anechoic chamber that debunks the madness myth.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2023T TNG Technology Consulting GmbH · talkRecommended as a detailed, wonderful explanation of the physics of dynamic soaring and record-speed RC gliders.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2024HN people link it as a quick, clear answer to the question of bicycle stability, including in threads on bike mathematics.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2021HN points to it as a clear, visual demonstration whenever a Tesla valve comes up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2021HN commenters point to it in lighting threads for its pros and cons of LED versus sodium lamps, though one calls it almost right.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2025HN people cite it as the clearest layperson-friendly explanation of rotational instability whenever spinning bodies, tumbling objects or axis shifts come up.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2025Used as an example of Applied Science pushing the limits of garage engineering, in DIY microscope threads.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2023Recommended as a fantastic, scientist-led explanation of snowflake formation.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2024HN links it as an entertaining, in-depth rebuttal to 5G health fears from an electrical engineer.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2022S styropyro · demoHN mostly cites it as an example of the absurdly powerful lasers sold cheaply online, and a nod to the channel's DIY laser builds.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2025HN points to it in threads on radiative cooling as a hands-on explanation of passive daytime cooling.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2011–2023P practiCal fMRI · demoLinked in threads on magnets and implants as a vivid demonstration of how violent MRI magnet forces are.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2012–2014G Graham McLeod · demoCited as the canonical eye-catching demo of diamagnetic levitation, and sometimes used as a joke in magnet threads.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2024Commenters link it whenever bit flips, cosmic ray errors or unexplained computer glitches come up, as a good accessible explanation.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2021HN cites it whenever the popular absorb-and-re-emit explanation comes up, as a source for the wave-interference account.
- 2 HN recommenders 1 months 2024–2025X xkcd's What If? · explainerRecommended whenever a thread asks how dangerous it is to fall into a reactor or fuel pool.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2011–2025M Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) · demoHN cites it as the original and still-wow reference whenever newer ultra-high-speed light imaging comes up.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2023Cited in Prince Rupert's drop threads as the best high-speed footage of a bullet hitting one.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2021HN cites it in double slit debates for its grounded demonstration of interference as classical wave behavior.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2020HN recommends it as an informative explanation of what those tags are, especially in threads about implants and RFID.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2026H Hydraulic Press Channel · demoLinked in paper folding threads as a fun demonstration and as the video that made the channel famous.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2025HN points to it as a cool demonstration of cheap precision laser measurement and the origin of hacks based on self-mixing.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2023R Roscket Tasartir · demoCited as a striking, counterintuitive example of extreme thermal insulation and hard materials science.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2023N Nigel John Stanford · music videoMentioned as a striking example of sound producing physical effects and a favorite among his videos.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2009–2023M Matt Rece · demoUsed as the go-to example of genuine one-million-fps footage and of bullet impact physics.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2024HN suggests it as a vivid, hands-on way to understand circuits, including for a blind child learning to program.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2026Cited as an example of ambitious video art and of a slow-motion real-time shot.
Showing the 100 best-scored of 165. Use search to find the rest.
Questions
What is the most recommended everyday physics & science demos video on Hacker News?
AT&T Archives: Similiarities of Wave Behavior (Bonus Edition) by AT&T Tech Channel: HN repeatedly calls it the clearest introduction to waves and transmission-line behavior, better than modern explainers.
How is this everyday physics & science demos list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.